How to Find Paid Speaking Opportunities

Speaking engagements play a critical role in your business. These opportunities help to keep your business relevant, often generating leads, and promote you as a thought leader in a particular industry. The more speaking opportunities you obtain – the more advantages for you and your business.

It is easy for known experts in their industry to be sought after for speaking engagements, but what about others who are trying to get their foot in the door? Here are a few helpful tips to improve your chances of finding paid speaking opportunities:

Displaying strong knowledge in your field can attract those looking for speakers. There are many ways to do this online, from responding to questions on networking platforms to sharing content on social media. Both of these methods attract attention and leave a trail people can use to find you.

Speak for free while you master your oratory skills. Volunteering for speaking opportunities can build relationships with companies and audience members. Be sure to show your value by not only demonstrating your knowledge but by showing prospects that audiences enjoy listening to you.

As you improve your speaking skills, take videos of your speaking appearances. Visuals can help establish your credibility as a speaker and show event organizers that you have experience speaking to a variety of audiences. Consider getting a professional video made that you can send with a speaking proposal.

Provide useful information about yourself in your speaking proposal, including videos, references, testimonials, and a list of functions where you have spoken. This can show your experience and make it easier for the event organizer to feel confident about hiring you. In your proposal, be sure to address why you are the expert that should speak about the topic and why it is useful to the audience. Also, briefly explain the takeaways people will receive from your speech, and share the ways you can help promote the organization’s event.

Once you have the perfect proposal, you can reach out to associations, companies and conferences. If you are new at this, you should start out locally with associations. The best way to reach out, regardless of the event you would like to speak at, is to find someone in your network who knows someone in the organization. If you cannot find someone to help you out, approach the organization directly via email, Human Resources, or a formal submission process, if available.

Follow up after three days if you do not receive a response. Your email may have been overlooked, and you want to make sure they know you’re interested in their event.

Remember, this is a good starting point for landing a speaking engagement; however, if you feel you need more information, don’t hesitate to contact us.